The prior art is already aware of various handle constructions which are pivotally attached to the mower and which can be secured in a non-pivoted but releasable position, as desired. These are the handles which are commonly employed for steering or pushing and pulling relative to the mower itself, and they exist on both reel type mowers and rotary type mowers. Examples of prior art mower handles are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,624,168 and 2,727,753 and 2,900,660 and 3,116,937 and 3,243,196 and 3,357,716 and 3,462,924 and 3,817,547. Those prior art patents all show handles pivotally mounted on mowers, and they also show means for releasably securing the handle in a set position relative to the mower so that the mower can be steered and the like. All of the afore-mentioned patents, except for the first one, relate to a rotary lawn mower, and the handles employ spaced-apart legs which are pivotally attached to the mower on pivot pins or the like. Further, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,727,753 and 3,116,937 and 3,462,924 all show arrangements where the handle is limited in its pivotal movement in one direction. Still further, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,243,196 and 3,817,547 are examples of mower handles attached to the mower in a set position but with the handle releasable so that it can freely pivot relative to the mower. Still further, U.S. Pat. No. 3,243,196 shows the handle pivot mounting arrangement wherein the handle has its attached ends spring-urged normally outwardly so that a pin and handle height alignment hole can be inter-engaged to adjust the height of the handle at its grip end.
The present invention entails the arrangement of the handle which is normally spring-urged outwardly at its lower ends which are attached to the mower, and a pin interconnecting the handle and the mower permit the handle to move laterally of the mower for alternate secure positioning when the handle is in the lower pivoted position for mowing and to permit the handle to be relieved of the secure position when the handle is urged inwardly against its spring force to thereby permit the handle to pivot upwardly on the mower and out of the mowing position.
In the present invention, the object and advantage is to have a simplified type of handle mounting which does not require separate parts, does not require specific alignment of pins and holes for setting the handle in a desired fixed position relative to the mower, but which also permits the handle to be readily released from its set position, simply by overcoming the spring tension in the handle when the handle legs are urged toward each other and free from their engaged portions of the mower itself. Accordingly, the present invention provides an improvement on mower handle mountings and does not require separate brackets or straps or aligned pins or holes for achieving the desired set position for mowing and the released position for either removing the handle or for folding the handle relative to the mower such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,727,753 and 3,357,716 and 3,462,924.
Still further, it is an object of this invention to provide a mower handle mounting which inherently and automatically achieves a snug and firmly set position of the handle to the mower in the mowing position. This particular objective is achieved by employment of a spring-biased type of handle wherein the handle legs are urged outwardly and against an inclined surface which urges the handle against a surface on the opposite side of the handle, all for the snug and secure mounting mentioned. Still further, the handle mounting arrangement of this invention permits the handle to be readily released from its firm snug and set position, such as when the handle is to be removed from the mower or simply folded relative thereto.